Daddy would always cut our Christmas tree on our farm. Often he would find
the perfect tree while he was out hunting and remember where it was. Mother
always liked to have ground pine to decorate with and Daddy would bring that
home in his hunting jacket to her to use. He would also bring home mountain
laurel, pine boughs, hemlock boughs, and red berries to fill the plant boxes.
We always tried to do the plant boxes before they froze, that way the greens
would stay nice all winter long. We would hang an assortment of evergreen
boughs on the doors tied with a red ribbon. In the kitchen there was a special
wreath that was placed at the kitchen window. It had an electric candle in it,
I always thought it was really special, as the wreath was a red velvet material,
of course over the years it faded, but it was still a favorite of mine. Perhaps
that is where I got my love of candles in the windows.
In the living room, on the piano, sat a plastic "Frosty the Snowman" with a
bubble light in his hand. Mother bought it the year that I started school in
1948. It was another favorite of mine. I still have it and it is the first
decoration that I put out every year.
Our Christmas tree was usually placed in the little living room in the
early years, as that is where we spent our time. We didn't go into the big
living room until after we got television. Our little living room was a cozy
room, off of the kitchen with a day bed up against one wall, the console radio,
Daddy's gray leather chair, a green upholstered chair with wooden arms (that I
now have), a rocking chair, and smoking stand. The room was carpeted with a
deep red flowered carpet. We later got a piano and it was placed in this room.
Jerry and I used the piano bench to play our board games on. The room was well
lit with an overhead light and the end tables had lamps as well. I also
remember a light on the wall. This room had a huge walk in closet and we kept
our games, card table and chairs in it. This was the only closet there was in
the house, so Mother and Daddy kept their good clothes in there also.
Our Christmas tree was usually long needled eastern pine decorated with
colored electric light bulbs and glass ornaments that were made by Corning Glass Company in Wellsboro, PA. I still have several of them. Krista has several
that her Grandpa Bryant gave to her that were made at the Wellsboro Plant, a
treasure! We used icicles to complete the decorations. It was a sight to
behold that first night to come into the living room after supper and sit there
and look at that beautiful tree with all of the lights turned off. Sometimes
Jerry and I would make snowflakes to put on the tree or to make red and green
paper garland to add to the tree too.
We were allowed to open one package on Christmas Eve which was always
handmade flannel pajamas. We would go take a bath, put on our new pajamas, go
to bed and wait for Santa. We could never go into see what Santa had brought
until Daddy came back from taking the milk to the milk plant and had his
breakfast. Jerry and I thought he ate the biggest breakfast of his life on
Christmas!!
After all the packages were opened, it was soon time to go to Grandpa and
Grandma Gerow's house. All of the Gerow family would meet there for Christmas
dinner and to exchange presents. This was one of the very few times that we
were allowed to go into the Parlor. They would have a tree decorated very
similar to our tree. Grandpa would cut his tree in his woods. The picture that
I have included is one that shows Connie Hazelton and me in front of the tree. I
think it was taken in 1950. The adults would exchange names; however, they
would buy for all of the kids. Aunt Eloise was a school teacher and she would
often times buy me a book and that always delighted me, as I loved to read as a
very young age. Mother often read to Jerry and me.
It's terrible, but I don't remember any really great Christmas, I usually
got a doll, which is what I always wanted, and later a typewriter. More than
anything I remember all of the preparation to get ready for the holiday and all
of the fun things we did. Mother always made sea foam candy, fudge, and cookies
of all kinds.
We went Christmas caroling, had parties, but the best was the Sunday school program. We practiced for the whole month of December and I loved it. Fred Smith was my Sunday school teacher and he was in charge of the program. We did plays, learned poems and acted out the Nativity. Everyone in the neighborhood was involved in our church and what a wonderful time it was. My Mother played the piano accompaniment for all of the songs that were sung, so she was busy learning her part too, but she loved it as much as we did.
We went Christmas caroling, had parties, but the best was the Sunday school program. We practiced for the whole month of December and I loved it. Fred Smith was my Sunday school teacher and he was in charge of the program. We did plays, learned poems and acted out the Nativity. Everyone in the neighborhood was involved in our church and what a wonderful time it was. My Mother played the piano accompaniment for all of the songs that were sung, so she was busy learning her part too, but she loved it as much as we did.
Daddy played Santa one year. Jerry and I didn't even know it! Every
parent brought a present for their own children which Santa passed out along
with a box of hard candy with a chocolate drop in the top for everyone. That
was a real treat! That box of candy served as cough drops for the whole winter,
Mother always put her box away as she knew someone would need it later and she
would be right.
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